Wolf herring

Wolf herrings are a family (Chirocentridae) of two marine species of ray-finned fish related to herrings.

Wolf herrings Temporal range: 55–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Eocene to Present[1]
Dorab wolf-herring
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Clupeiformes
Family:	Chirocentridae Bleeker, 1849[2]
Genus:	Chirocentrus Cuvier, 1816
Type species
Clupea dorab Fabricius, 1775[3]
Species
See text
Synonyms[3]
Neosudis Castelnau, 1873

Both species have elongated bodies and jaws with long sharp teeth that aid their ravenous appetites, primarily for other fish.^[4] They can grow up to1 m in length and have silvery sides with bluish backs.

They are commercially fished and sold fresh or frozen.

Species

• Chirocentrus dorab (Fabricius, 1775) - Dorab wolf-herring, found in warm coastal waters from the Red Sea to Japan and Australia
• Chirocentrus nudus Swainson, 1839 - whitefin wolf-herring, found in a similar range (This species is difficult to distinguish from C. dorab; the former has a black mark on its dorsal fin. This species is also known to eat crabs in addition to its usual diet of smaller fish.)